1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capsule endoscope system and endoscopic image filing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a capsule endoscope system and endoscopic image filing method in which image reading of endoscopic images can be carried out with high efficiency.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A capsule endoscope has been recently developed for the purpose of medical examination of a patient's body. The capsule endoscope includes a capsule body of a very small size, and an image pickup device and a light source incorporated in the capsule body. For the examination, at first a patient orally swallows the capsule endoscope. The light source illuminates a body part in a gastrointestinal tract of his or her human body. The image pickup device creates an image of the body part. Image data are obtained. A receiver wirelessly receives a radio wave of the image data, and writes the image data in an internal flash memory as data storage.
After endoscopic imaging for examination, the receiver becomes connected with an information manager, such as a workstation, with a USB cable or the like. Image data from the receiver are entirely retrieved in the information manager. See U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2006/189843 (corresponding to JP-A 2005-124965) and JP-A 2007-236700. A doctor or physician causes a monitor display panel to display endoscopic images according to the image data retrieved in the information manager, and observes those for diagnosis of the patient's body.
According to the techniques disclosed in those documents, the image reading cannot be started until the end of the examination, because image data from the capsule endoscope are stored in the receiver at first, and are retrieved in an information manager after the examination. There is a problem in that treatment according to a result of the diagnosis cannot be rapid, as considerably long time is required for the diagnosis.